Percussionists use a wide variety of percussion instruments. Not only do these musicians use the standard snare drum, bass drum, and other types of instruments with drawn heads, percussionists also use a wide range of other instruments such as chimes, cymbals, and cow bells. Because the percussionist wishes to play as many instruments as he can, many of these instruments have been design to be played without requiring the percussionist to use one of the hand striking motions of the musician to strike the instrument with a drumstick.
In normal use, virtually all of these instruments, with the possible exception of a hi-hat cymbal, require the musician to strike the instrument with some type of drum stick or mallet. This is especially true of the cow bell. The cow bell is usually placed in near proximity to the percussionist such that when the cow bell is to be played, the percussionist strikes the cow bell with at least one of his drumsticks.